Theresa May could face another headache if a Court rules she needs another vote to exit the EEACredit: Reuters

The case focused around triggering Article 127 of the European Economic Area agreement (EEA), which allows non-EU members the same freedoms as those available to EU members.

The EEA gives countries access to the Single Market - but in return they must allow free movement of people and implement some EU laws. Norway, Iceland and Lichetenstein have this special status.

Lawyers argued that MPs need to give their permission before taking us out of the area - but judges refused to give it the green light.

Judges listened to the case for just 45 minutes. They took only three minutes to come to their conclusion to turn down the application for a judicial review.

They said that because there was no final decision on how the UK will leave the EEA, they could not rule on it. The Brexit challengers warned that the door has been "firmly left ajar" for future proceedings.

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The case was brought to the High Court by Peter Wilding - head of the pro-EU organisation British InfluenceCredit: EPA

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Adrian Yelland, a Conservative lobbyist - was also applying for the judicial reviewCredit: Getty Images

James Eadie QC, representing Brexit Secretary David Davis, had argued that the application was "premature" because nothing on the EEA had yet been decided by the Government - and therefore it was not open to challenge.

He said: "The court is being invited to embark on an exercise which is discretionary in an area which raises a series of thoroughly controversial issues where you would have to speculate as to which of these contingencies was or was not going to be in play and what the legal consequences might be."

The Single Market Justice campaign argued that the UK does not have to leave the EEA immediately after Brexit - and this would only happen if the UK formally withdraws.

Mr Davis previously said that membership of the EEA will cease when we complete our EU exit - as the UK is only part of the area as an EU member.

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A government spokesman said last month: "The UK is party to the EEA agreement only in its capacity as an EU member state. Once the UK leaves the EU, the EEA agreement will automatically cease to apply to the UK."